Satellite towns still a dream in state

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, June 30

The ambitious project of the state government to develop satellite towns around Dharamsala, Mandi, Solan and Shimla has failed to take off.

The land was identified near the Gaggal airport for developing a township here. The idea was to bring about a planned habitation to ease the population growth.

The urban development authority has failed to bring up planned housing colonies at the pace at which the population is growing. It has developed only one colony at Khaniara and that also lacks infrastructure. The residents of the colony had protested the unavailability of water in the colony. In the last 10 years, only 10 houses have come up on 50 plots allotted in the colony.

Almost all villages around the town have been urbanised. Khaniara, Dharamkot, Bhagsu and Dhari are a part of the town now.

Private developers buy small pieces of land in villages around Dharamsala and divided these into plots. Such illegal colonies add to the problems in the already cluttered town.

The roads in the colonies are between 8 feet and 10 feet. Sometimes, it is less, with not even room for a car to drive through. As a result, residents have to park their cars on the main road and other adjoining roads.

Those developing commercial complexes in and around the town are not adhering to norms laid by the Town and Country Planning Department.

Most owners are not keeping any space for parking. Those visiting these complexes park their vehicles on the roadside, leading to traffic problems.

In Palampur, the government had decided to bring a few villages under the ambit of the Municipal Committee. Villagers, opposing the move, maintained that if they were brought under the MC limit, they would lose benefits such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and lower water and electricity tariffs. Under pressure from villagers, the state government had to reject the idea of including more areas in the Palampur municipal council.

During the stint of the previous BJP government, the state government had invited applications for developing townships in Una, Baddi, Manali and many other places. More than 40,000 people had applied for the scheme and deposited Rs 5,000 per plot with HIMUDA. However, neither the state government has refunded the amount taken from the people, nor started development.

Minister, Town and Country Planning, Sudhir Sharma was not available for comments.